A Quick Word On Optimism

April 28th, 2010

In recent years literature and courses about attracting or manifesting desired realities have become increasingly popular. However such ideology is far from new; classic spiritual and self help works from the 20th century covered this topic in great, effective detail.

Just a few well-known examples include “Think And Grow Rich” and  “Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude” (Napoleon Hill), “Thought Vibrations” (William Atkinson), “Power Of Positive Thinking” (Norman Vincent Peale), plus many other titles that preceded the recent trend in manifestation/attraction content.

I haven’t posted articles about the specifics of deliberate manifestation up to this point, but it’s something I’ll definitely look at in the near future. Many of my readers will be versed with ideals such as “law of attraction” and/or concepts like “the power of positive thinking”, so hopefully this content will resonate with most regular visitors.

If the idea of creating your own reality is new to you, please have an open mind and realistically consider the obvious impact your thoughts and feelings have on your day-to-day affairs. No metaphysical or spiritual belief systems are needed to note the various ways your thinking and emotional states affect those around you and the manner in which you perceive the events of your life.

You passively attract people, circumstances, and events into your life that reflect your primary thought patterns and strongest emotional impulses. This is true even if you aren’t trying to deliberately manifest something.

When you shift your focus toward intentionally creating a specific outcome, your results will be filtered through your dominant thoughts and emotions. There is no escaping this reality.

Obviously it’s critical to maintain a positive and empowered frame of mind. Your objective should be to train yourself to hold positive intentions and expectations at all times, and to immediately shift back toward the positive any time you are upset or disrupted by a negative experience or setback.

Most dictionaries define optimism as follows:

  1. A disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
  2. The belief that goodness pervades reality, and the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.

It is to your advantage to always seek the positive in any situation, to expect the best possible outcome, and to simply decide that every experience contains a lesson and moves you toward your ideal condition.

You can and should…

Focus Your Entire Being Toward Optimism

The first step is to begin thinking, feeling, imagining, and talking about the most positive and supportive circumstances and events possible. Consistent practice will literally adjust your default setting to that you automatically think positively and hold an optimistic outlook on life.

You can also begin the policy of dismissing any negative thoughts that arise automatically and shifting spontaneous negative emotions toward more positive feelings. Most people fail to realize two critical things about the human mind:

  1. Thoughts flow automatically like water down a stream, and our thinking does not always necessarily reflect who we are and what we want.
  2. Emotional impulses may arise without our conscious choosing, but once an emotion is activated it can be directed or interpreted however we wish.

In other words you decide which of your thoughts have power, and you choose which emotions to hold onto from one moment to the next. You are not, never have been, and need not ever be a slave to the automatic thoughts and feelings that arise from within you.

You have the power to choose optimism as your natural state. Negative feelings exist for a reason and have a healthy place in life but in almost every situation you are better served by shifting away from thinking and emotions that fail to support your ideal vision.

Gratitude is the easiest way to strengthen your optimism and settle your attention on good and supportive thinking. Whatever your life situation you undoubtedly have many things to appreciate and be thankful for. Focus on what’s right in your life and allow genuine appreciation to flow through your awareness. Being grateful for what you already have, and for what you know you’ll soon have, is the key to positive thinking and living.

How To Take Positive Action Now:

Form the habit of visualizing all areas of your life exactly as you want them to be. See the desired life situations as clearly as possible and actually get into the emotional state of being there.

You can make visualization a formal practice that you do every morning for ten or so minutes. And you can casually play with your ideal visions throughout the day as you move about your normal affairs.

Positive affirmations are a fantastic way of training your unconscious mind to function in an optimistic capacity. Use standard index cards to create affirmations to support each of your life goals and read these positive statements at least twice each day.

All your affirmations should be:

  • Framed in positive language only. (”am healthy” instead of “not sick”)
  • Stated in the present tense as if you already embody the condition.
  • Clear and to the point, plus easy to remember.

Practice feeling the appropriate emotions as you say your affirmations. It may help to remember positive events related to each affirmation; for instance when you are affirming wealth think back to the biggest check you’ve ever taken to the bank and access the emotional thrill of this event.

Any time a negative or self-defeating thought passes through your mind, acknowledge it, challenge it, and then completely release it. If you’re manifesting a trim, fit, body and catch yourself thinking “I’ve always been fat and I always will be, this is hopeless”, note the thought, firmly reject it, and turn your attention to the truth of “I am choosing to be thin and fit and no force in this world can stop me”.

By the same token whenever a strong negative emotion arises, notice it, let it go, and then shift in the direction of a more ideal emotion. For example if you feel a strong surge of hopelessness and despair, be present with the feelings for a moment, then let go and imagine this energy leaving your body. Adjust your feeling state toward a healthy anger (How dare that despair bother me right now; I just wont’ have it!), and from here move your attention toward feelings of relief and excitement. You don’t have to try and jump right from despair to jubilation, and frankly you won’t always be able to. Multiple small shifts that lead up the emotional scale are an easy way to manage your feeling state and maintain your optimistic outlook.

Remember to pay attention to your body’s subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals and indications. The body is every bit as spiritual as the mind and you’ll gain loads of insight by paying attention to the way your physical frame and form feel during moments of positive or negative emotion. With practice you can actually initiate optimistic consciousness by intentionally shifting your form and/or moving your body in a certain manner! I’ll make a point to post some specific tips about this in the future.

I hope this info is helpful. Thanks for reading and be sure to post your comments!

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The Muddled History Of Easter

April 4th, 2010

Today is Easter Sunday and Christians around the world are celebrating the resurrection of their crucified savior, Jesus Christ. For most congregations, this particular Sunday is honored with a special service.

On the other hand, the secular world is busy hunting Easter Eggs and eating chocolate bunnies. To be fair, many Christians also observe these traditions as well. Whether Easter holds religious significance for an individual, or is simply an excuse to have a meal with family and buy the kids a bunch of candy, the vast majority of celebrants are completely unaware of the myriad other stories and rituals associated with this day.

From Fertility Gods And Bunnies To Colored Eggs:

A Long And Muddled Story…

As is the case with MANY modern traditions, Easter can be traced all the way back to the origins of acknowledged history. An amazing portion of the rituals and stories still circulating today were part of Sumerian society six thousand years ago.

Side note: While we’re all told by history teachers and textbooks that humanity became civilized 6,000 years ago there’s abundant evidence that societies existed well prior to the Sumerian period. For example, there are multiple sites on the planet containing massive stone structures, built ten thousand years in the distant past, that would challenge the most capable construction firms of today. It’s interesting to wonder what is being covered up here.

Getting back to the roots of the Easter story, the first traces of the drama can be found in the myth of the sun god Nimrod, his moon goddess wife Ishtar (also known as Semiramis in some cultures), and their son Tammuz who was killed and resurrected after three days. In some accounts Tammuz was also the husband of Ishtar/Semiramis. This elaborate yarn has multiple versions, but common threads include the aforementioned cast of deities as a sort of holy trinity, the death and raising of Tammuz during the spring of the year, plus the symbols of the egg and rabbit.

The rabbit, hare, or “bunny” is an ancient symbol of fertility. Over time Ishtar became or merged with the fertility goddess Easter, and in quite a few places Tammuz or his regional counterparts – like the Phoenician god Adonis – were associated with vegetative fertility. Some researchers have stated simply that Tammuz was “fond of rabbits”, but this strikes me as a flimsy argument. The egg is also a timeless symbol of both fertility and rebirth, making it an ideal part of any good death and resurrection myth.

From Sumer and Babylon, to the Pagan people of Europe, the Easter tradition has taken a great number of turns and twists. There are even odd narratives about Mary Magdalene, the Roman Emperor, and a basket of eggs turning red (hence the colored egg tradition was born). As you might imagine, some stories are entertaining or informative while others are on par with Three Little Pigs. It’s frankly difficult to sort without extensive training in comparative religion or related history disciplines. I suspect any reader with degrees in such fields is having a mild stroke over my butchering of the specific nuances, but I’ll amend that shortly when I explain why I’m posting this in the first place.

The Tried And True Practice Of Sun Worship

Placement of Easter during spring is an obvious tribute to end of winter, the waking of the earth, planting of fields, and so forth. All of this ties in rather well with the sun deification so common throughout virtually all ancient religions.

In fact both Christmas and Easter, along with numerous other aspects of Christianity, can readily be compared to sun veneration practices from around the world. Sunday may be the most blatant example.

Most contemporary factions of Christianity claim Sunday became the official day of worship, supplanting the traditional Saturday Sabbath, after Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. This is stated nowhere in any part of the Christian Bible. In the New Testament Jesus and his disciples are repeatedly shown honoring the Sabbath day (Saturday). While many occasions illustrate Jesus challenging the rigid laws around what can be done on the Sabbath, at no time (ever!) does Jesus Christ nullify the commandment from the Old Testament about keeping the Sabbath.

In reality, Sunday became a common holy day in the 4th century (321 A.D.) when the Roman Emperor Constantine decreed the following:

“On the venerable day of the Sun (Sunday) let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”

Both pagans and Christians were required by law to honor Sunday as a day of rest and as a day of holy observation. According to The Catholic Encyclopedia by Charles George Herbermann, Knights of Columbus. Catholic Truth Committee:

“the heathen also were obliged on this day to go out into the open country and together raise their hands and repeat… a prayer without any marked Christian characters.”

This decree was not originally aligned with Christianity or an official changing of the Sabbath. In fact during the 4th century (and earlier) Mithras, one of the gods affiliated with the Roman state religion Sol Invictus, was worshipped on Sunday .

This is particularly profound when you also know that Mithras was born of a virgin on December 25th, the birthday of the unconquered sun as celebrated in Rome. In fact the shadow of Mithraism extends even beyond Christmas and the modern pseudo-Sabbath observed by Christians. The St. Peter Basilica and the St. Clemente Basilica in Rome are both built on ancient temples of Mithras. This adoption of holy days and temples from Mithraism suggests an eerie sort of interplay between Christianity and other religious sects during the first few centuries AD.

In addition to being traditionally portrayed as the offspring of a sun god and moon goddess, Tammuz is also cast at times as a sun god himself. According to the 1993 book Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of Jewish-Christian Origins, the site of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which is claimed to be the birthplace of Jesus, was originally a site of worship for the cult of Tammuz.

The book of Ezekiel (chapter 8, verse 14) contains a scene with women mourning Tammuz at the north gate of the “house of the lord”. At the very least this collaborates the worship of Tammuz prior to the time of Jesus.

Mix And Match Religions – Some Theologies Sold Seperately

Could the figures Tammuz and Mithras have interchangeable aspects or be taken from a common predecessor myth? This is the case with so many gods and goddesses of antiquity, as is well understood by those who teach, research, or just have a genuine interest in the nature and role of myth and religion during human history.

Many adaptations of the Isthar/Easter myth also include a description of how Nimrod (the father) was murdered; his body was subsequently cut into many pieces and dispersed across the land. Semiramis, the mother, found all the pieces with the exception of the penis; this rather odd storyline is remarkably similar to the Egyptian tale of Osiris and Isis, in which the son is Horus.

What is the significance of the similarities between this Babylonian myth and Egyptian lore surrounding Osiris, Isis and Horus? It is further evidence of the infusion and integration of ancient religious stories; Babylonian tradition gave rise to Egyptian beliefs, which in turn evolved into Christian theology.

The Egyptian Sun God Horus is also known as the son of god, the lamb of god, the light of the world, and many other titles typically attributed to Jesus . Horus was born of a virgin (Isis, also called Isis-Meri) with the aid of the “holy spirit”, as depicted in a story on the walls of the Temple of Luxor in Egypt; these glyphs have been dated back to 1,500 years before the fabled birth of Jesus.

Again, it’s common knowledge that earlier myths and belief systems lay the foundation for traditions and paradigms of future ages. This is why – as I wrote above – it’s often difficult to draw a straight line from the first historical appearance of a deity, hero, story, etc. to modern doctrine related to said characters and events. Several authors have produced compelling diagrams of how Egyptian and other religious systems might have influenced Christianity. It definitely seems plausible to me, and I was raised in a Christian family.

Christian scholars harshly criticize any work that dares to speculate mundane origins of their religion. Of course it’s worth remembering that a pundit who believes he or she will go to hell for denying the divinity of Jesus is not likely being rigorously objective. Despite protests from defenders of the faith, there is a good bit of confirmation that Christianity, like every other organized faith, has borrowed a page or two from previous books.

The writings of early church father Justyn Martyr, for instance, suggest that Jesus Christ is not the original star of the Easter story. In his First Apology Justin stated the following:

“And when we say also that the Word, who is the first-birth of God, was produced without sexual union, and that He, Jesus Christ, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those whom you esteem sons of Jupiter.”

Noted Egyptologist and Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum (and confessed Christian), Sir E.A. Wallis Budge said: “…this work to trace out the influence of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and mythology on Christianity… would fill a comparatively large volume.” Budge also reportedly believed the Egyptian religion had been fulfilled by the events in Christianity.

To address my point about the commonality of this sort of mix and match, especially over many centuries, let’s look again at Mithras, and then at the biblical Moses. As you’ll see the deeper elements from humanity’s original venerations (like the sun and stars) remains continuous while the minor players on the stage (the gods and heroes) change to fit the contemporary culture.

The god Mithras, when worshipped in Persia, was called “The Sacred Bull”. Centuries later Roman depictions of this deity associate him with the slaying of a great bull.

Some researchers also believe Mithras was a representation of the Greek hero Perseus. During the transition from the astrological age of Taurus to the astrological age of Aeries, the constellation Perseus was positioned above that of Taurus; ancient star maps of this alignment bear a striking resemblance to popular Roman-period sculptures of Mithras slaying the bull, complete even to the direction the god/hero is facing in relation to the great bull’s head.

This is a fascinating chronicle of how our ancestors honored the metaphysical systems of the most ancient times through the use of myths and legends relevant to the people of a given period. Judeo-Christian history also includes mythos that relate the passing between the ages of Taurus the bull and Aeries the ram.

The clear symbolism of the Hebrew god Yahweh appearing to Moses as a burning bush is unmistakable, as this fiery sign also represents the Greco-Roman god Aeries in ancient literature. When god appeared before Moses and the Israelites on Mt. Sinai the fire and smoke symbolism of Aries was used once again. The Jews were commanded not to touch the mountain until after the sounding of the ram’s horn, yet another symbol of the god Aries and a tradition practiced to this very day!

Many sculptors and painters throughout history, including the legendary Michelangelo, have depicted Moses as a horned character. In his book Moses, Emil Bock points out that in 5th century Latin translations of the biblical text wherein Moses comes down from the mountain with the tablets bearing god’s law, he has horns like a ram!

When Moses found the Jews worshipping a golden bull, he melted the idol, thus killing the bull . This is a very obviously symbolic of ending the age of Taurus the bull and ushering in the age of Aries the ram.

In his book Holy Moses Joseph E. Guretzki illustrates how Abraham was shown sacrificing a ram during a period when the killing of the bull calf was ending. Also Isaac, the child Abraham almost murdered in the Old Testament is sometimes called “the first lamb”; likewise Aries is both the first house of the horoscope and the Lamb of the Zodiac, i.e. the first lamb.

Many Jewish traditions, including the circumcising of male children, have roots in the theology of Aries/Mars. Even the Hebrew month of Nissan, wherein Jews celebrate Passover, is associated with the sign of Aries.

While Abraham and Moses (if they actually ever lived) are depicted during the Age of Taurus, the history and foundation of Judeo-Christian faith is taught as a series of prophecies and fulfillments. The Hebrew patriarchs laid the groundwork for the era of King David and others who ruled and led during the Age of Aeries, just as the latter prophets like Daniel set the state for Jesus in the Age of Pisces.

Scriptures set during the life of Jesus are replete with Piscean symbology, to include salvation through suffering and spiritual awakening. The Jesus fish, which many Christians tout on t-shirts or auto bumpers, is believed to honor the feeding of the thousands with two fish and two loaves, but it’s worth asking if something else is being referenced.

Is All This Stuff Verifiable?

Most of the information in this article is taken from the research and writing of numerous scholars and authors, with a couple of my own extrapolations posted on for fun. I could have cited more sources, but quite honestly I’m not trying to convince anyone or win any arguments.

Virtually all things of this nature are debatable, although in many cases a good deal of evidence supports claims that may upset the fanatically religious. My intention is not to insult anyone.

On one hand I just think it’s interesting to look at the various ways humanity has portrayed divinity through the ages. More than this, however, I wanted to draw attention to how millions of people are willing to form entire belief systems and engage in lifelong rituals in honor of ideas they honestly know nothing about.

Think about it…

How many people hiding Easter eggs and/or telling their kids about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus today really know the origins of this ancient holiday (or holy day)?

I’d wager less than 10% of all participants have even a faint clue about the history of Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Sunday School, The Pledge Of Allegiance, Ring Around The Rosy, and hundreds of other common rituals that are part of today’s directionless mainline culture. Start doing just a small amount of research on some of the things you’ve believed or practiced without question since childhood and you’re likely to stumble upon some extremely interesting facts and possibilities.

Feel free to submit any such stories or editorials for consideration. I’ll gladly publish any well-written chronicle that looks at one or more staples of society in the same critical and probing manner this article applies to the Easter holiday. Heck… if the information is good enough I may even rewrite and polish up the prose and form on your behalf, and then we can share the finished product.

Just a suggestion I’m kicking out there. Either way I hope you’ve found this post thought provoking and at least a bit surprising. Stay tuned for more.

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Spiritual Wisdom Of The Body And Sentience In Nature

April 3rd, 2010

The essence of pure consciousness underlies all that is, has been, and will be. Every phenomenon in our reality is the manifestation of consciousness driven by the field of universal intelligence.

The fact that mainstream science is not unified in a consensus that supports these statements means very little at this time. The experiential process, deep intuitive evidence, and a wealth of teachings derived from humanity’s wisdom traditions over thousands of years all help validate the observation that our physical world emerges from natural sentience.

The various levels of life represent the many ways the cosmic force makes itself known. A massive Oak tree may be the life force experiencing silent strength and nobility as it provides shelter and food for the creatures of the forest. Perhaps through an eagle soaring above the tree line the cosmos relishes the simple experiences of freedom and power. Through humanity universal intelligence has learned to express via romantic love, speech, art, music, deliberation, philosophy, and many other shared experiences of choice and intent.

The human body existed long before articulate verbal communication. Before our ancestors were speaking and writing, according to archeology, they were building tools and structures, and cooperating with one-another through deliberate means. Hence our species was self-aware, or conscious, long before we developed the ability to daydream or gossip.

Intelligence is in our nature, or literally encoded within our bodily composition. In fact every cell, organ, and system within a living body exhibits intelligent behavior, since organic forms manifest from the conscious cosmic substance. The digestive processes of a human, a cat, or a horse all are driven by conscious faculties within the organs and chemistry of digestion.

This doesn’t mean your stomach calls itself Linda and is married to Bob, your small intestines. Remember intelligent expression exists independent of the superstitious tendency to transfer human likeness and language onto an organism or function; consciousness transcends words and thoughts.

The Cells Of The Body Show Us True Spiritual Wisdom

Intelligence is effectively defined as the capacity to learn and respond dynamically to various stimuli; some level of awareness is also presumed, such as the ability to communicate with other systems and forms. In his book Cosmic Connection Carl Sagan cites the ability to learn over the course of a lifetime and an effort to control the environment as definitive factors in identifying intelligence. By all these virtues the cells and organ systems of the body are highly intelligent.

Organized religions like Christianity and Islam regard the body as lowly, unclean, and certainly not spiritual. However individuals of a genuinely spiritual inclination see the preposterous nature of such teachings.

Religion is not spirituality. Often enough (though not always) religion is cult morality and mind control.

What then is spirituality? Ten philosophers may offer ten definitions of what it means to be spiritual, and every one of them would be correct. Spirit is a deeply personal concept that helps an individual understand the self and know his or her individual purpose in life.

While I believe it’s counterproductive to cling to any “set in stone” doctrine on this matter, I like to define spirituality as: the exploration of consciousness, acknowledgement of the connection to all other living things, moment-to-moment observation of life, and following of one’s own intuitive purpose.

By this and similar definitions the physical form, as part of the whole, is absolutely spiritual in nature; indeed all aspects of life are part of spirituality when a person decides to embrace his or her own concept of spirit. Observing the body at a variety of levels can reveal life’s greatest spiritual lessons.

Most fascinating is a quick study of our body at the cellular level. When we compare the basic nature of our cells with the highest spiritual principles, the similarities are truly amazing .

Here are just a few of the lessons our cells can teach us about spirituality*:

Selflessness And A Higher Purpose – Spiritually speaking, the human mind has sought a higher purpose for as long as there have been writers and teachers to record the observations of the wise. The cells of your body have a clear, intrinsic sense of higher purpose as they all function for the good of the whole, prepared even to die if doing so will serve the greater good.

Furthermore, the primary function of every cell is giving. Cells function as if they were the source of all abundance, never withholding from the whole. As a result of this cellular prosperity consciousness, these tiny units of your body are provided for without question by your overall physical system.

Oneness And Universal Communion - The idea of oneness is as old as the first spiritual texts to emerge on our planet. For the man or woman who seeks a connection to spirit, the idea of being one with all others is central.

Our cells again provide a perfect example of oneness embodied. Each cell in our various systems shares a deep connection and continual communion with all other cells and systems that make up our bodies.

Even the most enlightened individuals among our species are prone to casting judgment on others. It’s a blemish that we have yet to evolve past. Yet the cells of our body accept every other cell as an equal, integral part of the greater system and process.

Clear Awareness And Being In The Moment – Perhaps the greatest spiritual challenge of all time is staying in the present moment. There is so much power available to us in the here and now that we instinctively go to great lengths to avoid the moment. We live much of our lives dwelling on a past that is gone or a future that does not exist.

Cells, on the other hand, adapt to the needs of each new moment as it occurs. While they may follow established patterns they do not cling illogically to a particular behavior, and they have the capacity to transform entirely if the moment demands such a course. They are neither bound by rigid belief systems nor preoccupied with non-reality such as regret and drama.

Pure Inspiration And Trust – At our most basic level, most of us just want to be safe, loved, and to matter in the great scheme of life. In our cells we see a perfect illustration of living out pure inspiration and trust.

The cells of our bodies carry out their functions without obsessive action or self-defeating compulsions. They follow the true flow of life, functioning with the smallest possible expenditure of energy and never stopping to neurotically question the rightness or wrongness of their actions. In fact a typical cell only stores a few seconds of food and oxygen, trusting completely that the Universe will provide for all its needs.

Many additional principles could be listed, the point being that our cells are tiny manifestations of consciousness that give themselves to the good of the whole. If each member of global society chose to express the wisdom of their cells in daily life the world would quickly become a utopian community.

Is it not incredible that the most basic units of our physical form already behave in a manner that reflects the highest spiritual ideals of human history? This is an empowering discovery that can go a long way toward relieving us of any excuses we might make for our own shortsightedness; in essence we already have within us (literally and physically!) all we need to become model spiritual expressions.

* I got the idea for a comparison of cell function to spiritual living from Book Of Secrets, by Deepak Chopra. I’ve used my own reflections in this article, but did want to credit this cool analogy to Dr. Chopra.

Sentience Expressed In Nature

Humans certainly aren’t the only organisms that reflect these amazing spiritual traits at the fundamental physical level. All creatures are formed from consciousness and therefore embody the cosmic intelligence. Life forms can be considered intelligent regardless of whether or not they surf the Web and drink cappuccinos.

The way mother cats apply judgment to the care and protection of their offspring goes far beyond instinct. In many cases feral cats have been known to care for groups of kittens in multiple locations, demonstrating an ability to manage their time effectively between the feeding and nurturing of the separate groups.

When living in an enclosed community of mated pairs and offspring, mice have been observed cooperating in a strategic manner for the benefit of the group. Typically the adult mice will move all of the young into a safe area where the females work together to nurse them. The adult males, working in pairs, will often relieve the females by sitting with the offspring while the females visit the feeding area. When witnessing such astute behavior on the part of these small mammals, one is compelled to believe the actions are driven by clear awareness and intention.

The brain of an earthworm is more complex than the most advanced computer systems on the market today . These little creatures may appear insignificant, but in fact they play a vital role in conditioning the soil for plant life. The cosmic mind created this organism to fulfill a purpose, and the intricacy of the design far exceeds anything to roll off the assembly line at even the most cutting-edge manufacturing facility.

The tendency of plants to grow toward the light is an obvious expression of intention. And the judicious mixing of two chemicals by the firefly to create her flashing language is yet another example of nature’s intelligence.

Society’s concept of consciousness/awareness is in serious need of rehabilitation, as is the disappointing tendency of some humans to consider our species irrevocably superior to all other life. The current disrespect for the natural world and the appalling ignorance that makes litter, poaching, mass pollution, and deforestation possible must change if the grandchildren of this generation are to have any hope of survival.

Simon G. Powell’s insightful film Metanoia illustrates, through practical observation, how the universe must be intelligent. At just over an hour long, this quick presentation is worth renting or downloading. Powell raises a number of compelling questions and does a good overall job of presenting a case for logical cosmic order and a revised view of intelligent life.

Humans certainly aren’t the only organisms that reflect these amazing spiritual traits at the fundamental physical level. All creatures are formed from consciousness and therefore embody the cosmic intelligence. Life forms can be considered intelligent regardless of whether or not they surf the Web and drink cappuccinos.

The way mother cats apply judgment to the care and protection of their offspring goes far beyond instinct. In many cases feral cats have been known to care for groups of kittens in multiple locations, demonstrating an ability to manage their time effectively between the feeding and nurturing of the separate groups.

When living in an enclosed community of mated pairs and offspring, mice have been observed cooperating in a strategic manner for the benefit of the group. Typically the adult mice will move all of the young into a safe area where the females work together to nurse them. The adult males, working in pairs, will often relieve the females by sitting with the offspring while the females visit the feeding area. When witnessing such astute behavior on the part of these small mammals, one is compelled to believe the actions are driven by clear awareness and intention.

The brain of an earthworm is more complex than the most advanced computer systems on the market today[i]. These little creatures may appear insignificant, but in fact they play a vital role in conditioning the soil for plant life. The cosmic mind created this organism to fulfill a purpose, and the intricacy of the design far exceeds anything to roll off the assembly line at even the most cutting-edge manufacturing facility.

The tendency of plants to grow toward the light is an obvious expression of intention. And the judicious mixing of two chemicals by the firefly to create her flashing language is yet another example of nature’s intelligence.

Society’s concept of consciousness/awareness is in serious need of rehabilitation, as is the disappointing tendency of some humans to consider our species irrevocably superior to all other life. The current disrespect for the natural world and the appalling ignorance that makes litter, poaching, mass pollution, and deforestation possible must change if the grandchildren of this generation are to have any hope of survival.

Simon G. Powell’s insightful film
illustrates, through practical observation, how the universe must be intelligent. At just over an hour long, this quick presentation is worth renting or downloading. Powell raises a number of compelling questions and does a good overall job of presenting a case for logical cosmic order and a revised view of intelligent life.

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